Chamboirat is a minimalist residence by the Paris-based architecture firm, COVE. Located in a small hamlet in the Auvergne countryside in central France, the project reimagines a 200-year-old farmhouse as a family home, one designed to gather generations while honoring the agricultural heritage embedded in the site.
The client’s request was clear: to transform the former barn into a livable, comfortable home without erasing its character. Upon entering the structure, COVE encountered soaring stone masonry walls reaching nearly thirty feet (9 meters), a complex wooden framework, and expansive volumes that spoke to centuries of use and craftsmanship. Rather than imposing a stark intervention, the studio approached the renovation with restraint.
COVE prioritized subtle rehabilitation techniques that respected the building’s original character while carefully modernizing it. Minimally processed local materials and artisanal methods, including lime, hemp insulation, cut stone repairs, and new oak structural elements, were employed to ensure continuity between old and new.
The result is a home that feels spacious, rustic, and contemporary, while remaining true to its origins. Chamboirat reflects COVE’s broader practice of restoring historic structures through thoughtful, site-sensitive interventions that preserve memory while extending a building’s life into the present.
